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HomeMy WebLinkAboutApps for Groundwater Pumpers Advisory Committee Stafford, Kathleen From: Snyder, Ashley Sent: Wednesday, November 2, 2016 12:55 PM To: BOS Cc: Stafford, Kathleen; Thomas, Autum; Gosselin, Paul; Hatcher, Casey; McCracken, Shari Subject: Groundwater Pumpers Advisory Committee Attachments: Chastain Cheri.pdf; Cole Gary.pdf, GPAC Applicants.xlsx; Lavy Jon,pdf, Schooling John.pdf, Skinner David.pdf, Strachan Susan.pdf All — Please see the attached applications with regards to the Groundwater Pumpers Advisory Committee. Autum Thomas of Water and Resource Conservation was kind enough to include a Spreadsheet that shows which subbasin/seat the applicant is eligible to fill. Ashle� N. SnUaer Assistant Clerk of the Board Butte County Administration 25 County Center Drive, Suite 200, Oroville, CA 95965 T: 530.538.2867 1 F: 530.538.7120 Twitter I Eacebook I YouTube I Pinterest ATHINK ABOUT RESOURCE CONSERVATION.Please don't print this ernaii tyrriess necessary. Confidentiality Notice:This e-mail and any attachment thereto may contain private,confidential and privileged rnateriol for the sole case ofthe intended recipient.Any review,copying,or distribution of this e-mail'for any attachments thereto)by other than the County of Butte or the intended recipient is strictly prohibited.if you are NOT the intended recipient,please contact the sender immediately and permanently delete the original and any copies of this e-mail and any attachments thereto. October 31, 2016 Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. 1075 E 2011 St Chico, CA 95928 Butte County Department of Water and Resource Conservation 308 Nelson Ave Oroville, CA 95965 bcwater@buttecounty.net Re: Groundwater Pumpers Advisory Committee Dear Butte County Department of Water and Resource Conservation, Located in the West Butte Sub-basin, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has always been a conscientious steward of the Butte County water supply. Not only is water the most essential ingredient in the brewing process, it is essential to maintaining the vitality of our community. We are committed to ensuring an abundant water supply in this area and to helping our fellow community members be equally dedicated water conservationists. For decades Sierra Nevada has monitored water use throughout our facility to ensure efficient use and responsible discharge. To establish a consistent and sustainable water source for our operations, we recently constructed a private well on our property in Chico that will meet all of the water needs for our operations. We expect to begin drawing from the well in early 2017. The well, in tandem with our existing agriculture water well, will provide water for our 30-acre operation with the exclusion of the restaurant and fire suppression, which will be supplied by our water service provider and be sourced from local groundwater. We have been following the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) process with great interest and recently learned of the creation of the Groundwater Pumpers Advisory Committee (GPAC). Given that we are soon to be an independent groundwater pumper, we respectfully request a seat on the GPAC. While we are not pumping groundwater for large scale irrigation, our business relies on a sustainable supply of groundwater. Sierra Nevada currently employs 500 people in Butte County and plays a huge part in the local economy. We must work to ensure a sustainable supply of groundwater in order to do business in Butte County. We understand the impact that farming has on our community, but we ask you to consider including other industries that depend on Butte County's water on the GPAC. I have served on the City of Chico's Sustainability Task Force for the last three years and am very familiar with serving an elected board in an advisory capacity as well as the importance of maintaining the Brown Act. I am also the chair of the Brewers Association Sustainability Subcommittee and a member of the U.S. Zero Waste Business CounciI's board of directors. I would welcome the opportunity to participate in the GPAC. Thank you for your consideration, Cheri Chastain Sustainability Manager Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. 530-893-3520 Cheri@Sier-raNevada.com November 1, 2016 Gary Cole 530 343 0916 7399 Hwy 99, Oroville, CA 95965 colefarm7399@yahoo.com Application for Groundwater Pumpers Advisory Committee (GPAC) representing East Butte Sub-basin Paul Gosselin, I, Gary Cole, would like to be one of the Committee Members for East Butte Sub-basin GPAC. own, live on, farm, and irrigate 400 acres of rice, other grains, hay, and almonds in the East Butte Sub- basin. I have 3 agricultural wells and 1 domestic well on the properties. flood irrigate,furrow irrigate, and sprinkler irrigate. I have farmed and lived at this location for 46 years. I have degrees from Chico State Univ. in Biology and Natural History. I've had extensive classes in Geology. 1 have worked to understand Butte County's aquifers,their formations, types, locations, relationships to each other,flows, annual variations, and recharge since 1994. 1 worked extensively with Toccy Dudley, while head of the northern state of DWR,to better understand our aquifers and effects of pumping well water throughout Butte County. I have attempted to understand water rights for all users of ground water(farmers, domestic, public entities, business) and surface water rights. I have been on many water related committees in Butte County. I was on the Board of Directors of Butte Sutter Basin Groundwater Users. I was Vice President for Butte Basin Groundwater Users. I am the Water Advisory Committee (WAC) representative for the Cherokee Sub-inventory Unit for Butte County. I helped select wells for monitoring in Cherokee SIU, over see, and report issues to BC Water Department.. I developed/created Cherokee Watershed Organization (CWS) and I am director. I was one of the grant writers for a Cherokee Watershed grant for monitoring stream waters in Dry Creek, Cherokee By-Pass Canal, Clear Creek, and Cherokee Canal for pollutants and mercury...which we completed with the aid of Chico State Biology and Geology professors. CWS has worked extensively with DWR, Ca. Fish &Wildlife, US Fish &W., Army Corp. of E., USGS, and others on flood control in the Cherokee Canal near Richvale. The BC groundwater monitoring well for water quality in our area is on my property. I participated in USDA Water Bird Habitat Enhancement Program associated with rice farming for 3 years and continue to develop and preserve habitat for wildlife. I have and managed a 20 acre lake for wildlife habitat on my property for 46 years. I appreciate the opportunity to be considered for one of the GPAC Committee Members for East Butte Sub-basin. Thank You, Gary Cole �w ��� 44 u 7, UJ Cary cede 11/1/2016 x John Schooling 11/2/2016 x David Skinner 10/11/2016 x Cheri Chastain 10/31/2016 x Susan Strachan 11/1/2016 x Jon Lacy 10/27/2016 1 Ix x x Jon Lavy Lavy Brothers Farming PO Box 536 Biggs, CA 95917 10/27/2016 Dear Butte County Board of Supervisors, My name is Jon Lavy and I would like to be considered for the newly forming Groundwater Pumpers Advisory Committee (GPAC). I farm about 4500 acres in all four sub-basins, Vina, West&East Butte and Forth Yuba, in Butte County. I grow primarily walnuts, rice,prunes and row crops. I'm a fourth generation Butte County farmer. Our family farm is irrigated by Feather River Surface Water Diverters thru the 4 surface water irrigation districts in the lower Butte County and the orchards use groundwater from pumps that are in the white area of the county off HWY 32 in Chico area and Hwy 99 in Biggs. I am aware of what Sustainable Groundwater Management Act(SGMA) is and have general knowledge from my involvement with Butte County RCD, Butte Water District and Farm Bureau. I attended the Butte County meeting held in Gridley at the fair grounds. I'm concerned that if the GSP isn't formed the fines would impact my operation as a ground water pumper. I would be supportive of the Butte County's white area on the GPAC. As self-employed farmer I will make time to attend GPAC and other SGMA meetings as needed being. I am committed to this important process. I'm willing to share information with my neighbors, industry support groups I'm apart of and at the coffee shop. Sarah: Reynolds, District Manager of Butte County RCD has been encouraging and helpful with groundwater support and keeping me involved in resourc oncerns and compliance with regulations. Th k ou for y r consideration; on La Lavy t r s rming (53 2-5 1 Nov. 2, 2016 Butte County Department of Water and Resource Conservation re: Membership opening for Groundwater Pumpers Advisory Committee I would like to be considered to be on the on the Butte County Groundwater Pumper Advisory Committee. I live and farm in the northwestern portion of Butte County in the VIVA sub basin. I have a 45 acre block of walnut near Pine Creek on Cana Highway. The property has 2 wells, one domestic and other and ag.well for irrigation of the property. Experience,training and knowledge: Farming property for 17 years. During this time 1 have removed old orchard, upgraded irrigation system from moveable pipeline to micro-sprinklers and dripline . Have participated in U.C. programs and continuing education on best practices and improvements to improve methods of irrigation. I have implemented new methods of measure amounts of water needed for irrigation.Techniques for irrigation have gone from guessing or what my neighbor is doing to ET. models, pressure bombs and orchard moisture sensors. I currently serve, as an appointee of Butte County, on the Butte,Yuba, Sutter Water Coalition as one of two Butte County members. Thank you for consideration John Schooling 7480 Cana Highway Chico CA 95973 530 345 6968 Cell: 530 774 5360 David E Skinner 117 Via Morro Chico,CA 95928 October 11,2016 Butte County Board of Supervisors 25 County Center Dr.#205 Oroville,CA 95965 Re:Application to Groundwater Pumpers Advisory Committee(GPAC) Dear Members of the Board of Supervisors: I am writingto indicate my interest in serving on the Butte County Groundwater Pumpers Advisory Committee,I believe I am a weH-qualified candidate based on the foilowing: 0 1 am currently retired from farming having spent 30 years actively growing rice and tree crops on a family farming operation south of Durham. In total,we farmed over 700 acres of tree crops which refled exclusively on groundwater for irrigation. 0 For the past 13 years,II have served on the Butte County Water Commission and currently serve as Vice-Chair.Consequently, I feel weil versed in the SGMA process and current compliance issues facing Butte County, 0 For over 15 years,I have served on the Land Conservation Act Committee(LCA),otherwise known as the Williamson Act Committee,These past years of service indicate my level of dedication to preserving agriculture as a way of fife in Butte County, I currently serve as Chairman. Currently,my wife and I rely exclusively on groundwater to provide water for our home and landscaping, our property consisting of 2 4 acres is located in Butte County,in the Chico area bordered by Chico Canyon Rd.and Centennial Rd, 1 feel I have the time and commitment to serve as an active member of the newly formed GPAC and a willingness to act as a liaison to groundwater Pumpers,both domestic and agricultural, i understand that I will be serving at the sole discretion of the Board of Supervisors and intend to represent you with the highest level of integrity. Sincerely, David E Skinner CC: LARRY WAHL, PAUL GOBS LIN SUSAN P. STRACHAN 40 VIA MORRO CT CMCO, CA 95928 November 1, 2016 Butte County Board of Supervisors 25 County Center Drive Suite 200 Oroville, CA 95965 (Via Email) RE: Groundwater Pumpers Advisory Committee Dear Supervisors: Please accept this letter in application to the environmental position on the Butte County Groundwater Pumpers Advisory Committee(GPAC). I am a private well owner in the unincorporated portion of the Chico Urban Area Subinventory Unit, West Butte Inventory Unit/Subbasin. My well is part of the Butte County water quality monitoring grid. My property is not part of a surface water district. My education includes a M.A. in Geography: Environmental Planning and Resource Management from San Francisco State University and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Virginia. I am currently a Project Manager at the CSU, Chico Geographical Information Center. I have worked in water issues, including those addressing the interface of water and habitat, for over twenty years. As a planner with the California Coastal Commission, I co-facilitated an advisory group to the State Water Resources Control Board's riparian and wetland management program. This advisory group was composed of industry, agency and non-governmental stakeholders and was charged with developing management measures under the State Board's nonpoint source pollution program for these habitats. I also developed the first model for Critical Coastal Areas, which are specially designated areas of high environmental value,which included tidal wetlands, freshwater wetlands, rivers, streams and riparian habitat. I staffed a senior management task force which provided policy direction to staff working on the Commission's new coastal nonpoint pollution control program. As the Watershed Coordinator and Executive Director for the Big Chico Creek Watershed Alliance in the mid-2000's, I was invited by the Northern California Water Association and the Glenn Colusa Irrigation District to serve as the environmental representative to a committee exploring increased use of the Lower Tuscan Aquifer, primarily to fulfill the requirements of the Sacramento Valley Water Management Agreement. I was a member of the Butte County Water Advisory Committee when the first Basin Management Objectives were developed and member of the CalWater Public Advisory Committee. In 2007, I was appointed to the Butte County Water Commission representing District 3, and served until conflicts with a new job caused me to resign in 2010. While on the Water Commission, I served on critical sub-committees, including those developing recommendations for the Butte County General Plan Water Element and the process for designating Butte County's representatives to the Northern Sacramento Valley Integrated Regional Water Management Plan Board. Susan Strachan November 1, 2015 Page 2 I have developed, funded and implemented multiple restoration projects that required evaluating and designing for habitat that is dependent on groundwater. This includes restoration of a former gravel pit to a public park that incorporates wetland, riparian and oak woodland habitat and biotechnical streambank stabilization along Big Chico Creek where erosion was threatening homes and a county road. I am currently managing a multimillion-dollar project to restore side channels along the Sacramento River to benefit winter run Chinook salmon. My background also includes work for a nonprofit organization that seeks to resolve conflicts between agriculture and habitat restoration on the Sacramento River. As part of my work, I collaborated with the staff biologist to develop the baseline assessment for a cooperator agreement under the organization's programmatic safe harbor agreement. My role included working with the ranch manager to identify those activities on the ranch that would be designated as routine, ongoing agricultural activities to be protected from regulatory action under the Endangered Species Act. This is a critical component to the safe harbor program, as restored habitat could contribute to increased occurrences of protected species that could be impacted by the farming activities. The definition of the agricultural activities included clearly delineating the operation and maintenance of the irrigation canals so that they could continue to operate effectively in the presence of giant garter snake and valley elderberry longhorn beetle. Thank you for the opportunity to submit my background for your consideration. The GPAC is incredibly important to our county's future and I would be honored to serve as its environmental representative. Sincerely, Susan Strachan